Nightmares
by tennyo243
Summary: Rated for language. This is my first fic! Inu Yasha is tormented by dreams of death and suffering. Can he and Kagome get solve the mystery of these strange nightmares before Inu Yasha is consumed by them?
1. In which Kagome attemps to go home

All characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, except for the few that I've created myself 

Well, this is my first fic, and I hope that I don't confuse the hell out of you readers.... Its got a lot of details that aren't explained right away, so please bear with me. Umm... I'm supposed to be getting a bit of fanart up on deviantart.com soon, but since I've been so busy with actually writing the stories, I haven't gotten the time to draw at home, and that's my inspiration spot for Inu-Yasha stuff. I will work on it though, so that you know what things look like and such. 

Well, for those of you who have already read this part, I would suggest reading it again. I've redone a few areas on it, so that its grammatically correct and such minor details. There are some other miniscule things changed, but I guess they're kind of important to the bonding of the characters. I ask you to keep in mind that Naraku _has_ been defeated, and its been a year and a half since that's happened. And some pretty strong bonds can form in a year and a half.... 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the 'slightly' revamped version, and please, please, please review! 

Thanks! 

~Tennyo 

P.S. Uke, I hope you're happy.... 

"Again?! You're leaving _again_!? But why?" 

"I have a few things that I'm obligated to." 

"But _why_ do you have to go? Why can't you just stay here?" Inu Yasha questioned angrily, standing in the doorway to their hut and glaring at her as she gathered her things together in a small pack and started past him. But he refused to move. Kagome growled. 

"I'm not going because I want to! You know that I would much rather be here with you! But I have to see my mother and Sota, and Gramps. I never get a chance to go anymore," she answered fiercely. _It's been such a long time since I've been back.... _she thought to herself._ If only I could get him to understand....._ "If you want me to come back quicker, then just let me go!!" 

"But it's so boring without you...." Inu Yasha argued further. 

"Then why don't you come with me?" Kagome asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes and slapping her arms to her sides in annoyance. 

"Hey, could I?" Inu Yasha asked, eyes suddenly glowing with hope. 

"No, of course not! You'd be in the way!" 

"I would not!" 

"Yes you would! I want to go and spend time with my _family_. Its hard enough working all the time around here, so I need a break." 

"What about _my _break?" Inu Yasha questioned in a high, mocking voice. Kagome's face turned a bright pink in her anger. 

"Don't you _dare _mock me, Inu Yasha," she hissed menacingly. He backed up with a meek grin, his arms in front of him as if to stop the waves of anger coming from his love. "Now, I'm going home, and you're not stopping me!" She pushed past him, through the door, and started into the woods. 

"What if I'm coming with you?" he pressed gingerly. 

"You're not," she answered flatly, glaring at him over her shoulder. He hopped over her head and started grinning innocently again. "No, I told you. You'd get in the way." He kept grinning. Her voice was softer, and her anger was diminishing. He knew that she would wear down eventually, he'd done it before. "Inu Yasha.... I've told you a million times... I have to spend time with Sota, Mom, and Grampa. I haven't been able to get back to my time with everything that I have to do here lately, and I need to see them every once in a while, at least. If you come, then I'd most likely be spending most of my time with you. Not that I don't want to," she added defensively to his hurt look. 

"Come on, just _this _time," he pleaded. She sighed. "Pleeeease?" he begged again. She sighed exasperatedly and walked past him. But he could see the smile before she could hide it. 

"Fine, you can come. But next time...." He smiled and started to follow her. 

"I know, I know. I have to stay behind." He was very happy, as it had been a long time since she had allowed him to come, and he always enjoyed his trips to the future, no matter how long or short they were. 

They reached the clearing, and Inu Yasha caught up with her, then ran forward enthusiastically, reaching the rim of the well before Kagome. He hopped up onto the edge and waited patiently for her to catch up. 

"Hey, wait just a second," Kagome said suddenly, looking up at him, standing on the side of the well, waiting for her to accompany him down. "Why would you want to come with me?" He shrugged. 

"Is it okay if I want to be with you?" She smiled up at him. 

"Yeah, I suppose." 

"Well then, 'The quicker we go, the quicker we can come back.'" She growled. 

"I told you not to mock me, Inu Yasha," she hissed again, hopping up beside him. 

Together, the pair jumped down the familiar well and into Kagome's time. Kagome was surprised to find that the floor of the well was covered in dust. _Has it really been so long?_ she asked herself. Inu Yasha wasn't to used to the dust, either. He wasn't really exposed to it in an era where nothing really had a chance to collect it. So, he reacted. He coughed a few times, sneezed, sniffed, coughed again, sneezed one more time, sniffed, and before Kagome could ask if he was all right, hopped right out of the well. 

"Slowpoke," he called down to her, peering over the edge. She growled. 

"What's your problem, Inu Yasha?" she shouted back, "What are you so eager to­?" But she stopped when she realized that he wasn't listening to her. She sighed exasperatedly and scaled the well wall in a single bound. The well house was deserted. 

_Figures_, she thought to herself. She started up the minishrine steps only to see Inu Yasha come flying over the top of the shrine and land in the Goshinboku. And coming around the corner, swinging some type of staff, was his pursuer..... Gramps? 

"Come back here, you devil! I must drive the evil out of you," he was shouting at the top of his lungs. 

"I am no devil, you withered old--" 

"SIT boy," Kagome shouted. She stalked over to where he had fallen and stood over him, fury etched in her face. "Don't insult Gramps! You probably deserve to get pacified." 

"Kagome!" the old man cried joyfully. "You're home! I was wondering why your friend was here. I thought he might have come to get you, then I remembered that you weren't here...." Gramps's eyes widened, and he looked down to where Inu Yasha was brushing off from his fall. A sheepish smile came over the jiji's wrinkled features. "I apologize, Inu Yasha," he said, bowing to the hanyou as he picked himself up stiffly. 

"Well, I guess I should go and tell everyone else that I'm back for a few days," Kagome announced. Gramps nodded and followed her lead to the house. 

"Hmm, I guess the old geyser's getting forgetful in his age," Inu Yasha thought aloud as soon as he was sure Kagome was out of hearing range. He brushed himself off from his fall as he completed his thought, "Well, I suppose I couldn't blame him..." And he began to walk after Kagome and her grandfather into the house. 

"So why were you so eager to get here, Inu Yasha?" Kagome questioned. "You know how boring it can be here." They were in her room, after dinner and dessert. Inu Yasha was sitting on the floor next to Kagome's bed, relaxing for the first time in about a month. Believe it or not, he actually had responsibilities in the new village. 

"Well, its been a really long time since we've been alone," he replied, smiling as he looked up at her where she was perched on her bed. He reached his hand up over his head to grasp hers, and she gripped it softly. "So I guess I was just wanting to get away from everyone else." 

"Oh, yeah, that's nice," Kagome teased, tighting her grip slightly. 

"Hey, I don't mean like that," he said defensively. 

"I know, I'm just kidding," she said, smirking. He snorted. She giggled lightly, but stopped after a moment. A cold sliver ran down her back, and she felt a presence in the back of her mind. _What's that feeling?_ she asked herself uneasily. "Inu Yasha?" she said slowly. 

"Yeah, what's the matter?" he replied, picking up the familiar hint in her voice, and turning to face her. They released hands. 

"Do you.... sense something?" He frowned. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean do you sense anything, you know, strange. Oh, I don't know," she said as she saw him look at her as if she were crazy. "I mean, evil. I feel something menacing, like something's wrong." She watched his ears prick, move just slightly, and then quiver. "Wh- what is it?" she asked, not being able to hide the subtle shaking of her voice. 

"Oh, that? I was just seeing if I could do it," he answered matter-of-factly. She backhanded him. 

"Hey, what was that for," he shouted, holding the back of his head. 

"You actually had me worried for a second," Kagome said angrily. "And I thought you could be more mature then Sota!" 

It was close to the morning hours, but hard as he try, Inu Yasha could not get to sleep. He was sitting beside Kagome's bed, only because she said her mother would kill both of them if they slept together. His eyes were closed and he thinking so hard, he was afraid Kagome might wake up because of it. 

_Why did she ask me if I sensed anything?_ he questioned himself. _She probably did it for a reason..... What if something really _is_ wrong? It would be _my_ fault for messing around...._

"Argh! If I had just taken her seriously...." He punched the floor in agitation. Kagome's eyes fluttered and she shifted position in her bed. Inu Yasha froze. Her relaxed breathing returned and told him she was sound asleep. _Whew, that was a close one, _he thought to himself. _Well, I'll talk to her in the morning. It's not worth a "sit" and a slap to wake her up._ And soon after that thought passed through his mind, he fell asleep. Outside Kagome's bedroom window, a small round shadow bobbed up and down, waiting, waiting..... 

Something was chasing him. Something huge. And he was running from it. _Where am I? What is that thing? Why am I _running_?_ He stopped and turned, ready to face it. But then he saw why he had been running. It must have been 100 feet long, and at least twice as tall! Although it wasn't the beast's size that worried him, it was the evil aura that was filling every sense of his body. The aura was so strong that it was beginning to make him feel sick. A mist gathered around the fleeing half-demon. He looked around, trying to find out through the thick fog where the beast had gone. Then the mists parted, showing a giant hand reaching down for him. He tried to flee it, but despite it's size, the demon was quick, and soon had Inu Yasha in it's grasp. The wind rushed through his hair as the gigantic monster picked him up off the ground. As he neared the head, he could see rows of razor sharp teeth, each probably as big as his entire arm. It's red eyes sparked maliciously, and Inu Yasha finally saw its plan. It was going to eat him. He smirked to himself. _Well, even if it does, I can rip it's guts out._ But he realized that it was getting harder and harder to take a breath. He felt a sudden pain in his chest as it was compressed under the strength of the demon. It was squeezing him, going to kill him first. _No! _A breeze blew from behind. He caught sight of his hair... It was black. The pain was building in his chest and legs, and he could barely breathe. _But.... Why?_ he thought despairingly as he felt a few of his ribs break under the pressure. He cried out, trying to ease the pain.... 

"Inu Yasha! Inu Yasha, wake up! Come on, Inu Yasha," Kagome shouted. She had her hands around his shoulders, shaking him so he might come back to reality. She had woken up when he had shouted out in pain. She had sat bolt upright and gazed around, looking for whatever was causing him such pain that he would cry out like that. She caught sight of him then, slumped to one side, along side her bed, eyes shut tight, and teeth clenched. She had jumped into action and set him upright. She was trying now to wake him from his terrible nightmare. "Inu Yasha!" His eyes snapped open. They were red for a moment, then he blinked and came to. Sweat was rolling down his face, and he was panting heavily. He knew quite well that he couldn't speak. The fear of the nightmare was still disturbingly fresh in his mind. Kagome wrapped her arms around his shoulders and touched his cheek with hers, trying to comfort him. Inu Yasha was trembling for several minutes, but after quite a while of being calmed by Kagome's healing touch, he spoke. 

"Then, it was just a.... nightmare?" he asked shakily. 

"Yes, just a nightmare," she answered soothingly. She was worried though. This was really the first time she'd seen him in such a state. She wondered if maybe this was what she had sensed. "Are you all right then, Inu Yasha?" she asked. 

"I... I think so," he replied, his voice still shaking slightly. _But why? I've never in my life had a vision in which I was killed. Maybe memories of being pinned to the tree by Kikyo, but I wasn't _killed_. So why would I have one so suddenly?_ He attempted to stand, but Kagome stopped him. 

"Stay here, I'll go get you some water," she said as she walked out of the room. "Oh," she said doubling back. "If you want a more comfortable spot to si-- I mean rest, use my bed." She walked toward the kitchen to get a glass for him. There was a note from her mother on the table saying that the rest of the family would be gone for the morning. She read it quickly and continued to fetch the water. _I wonder if I did sense his dream. I've never been able to sense feelings or thoughts, though._ She walked back upstairs to her room with the water. "Inu Yasha, I've got your--" She stopped in mid-sentence. He was gone. 

Sorry for the cliff-hanger! It had to end somewhere... Well, I'll try and get the rest of the chapters up soon, but I have a feeling that all of them have a bit of redoing to be done to them. Thanks again for reading! 

~Tennyo 


	2. In which the dream intensifies

Once again, I do not own Inu Yasha and Co. Just my characters. 

Well, here's yet another chapter. I hope that you enjoy it as much as the other one, if you enjoyed it. If you didn't, well, I hope you like this one! Yes, its been slightly redone, only because a few things didn't fit together right, and I didn't put in enough detail. And in some places, there was too much detail. And in still other places, there was the wrong type of detail! Plus those little grammatical errors that escaped my eye until I read it online.... Sometimes I hate having a typesetter for a mother. She passed her perfectionism to me.... 

Anyway, if you're confused about something, don't give up. It'll eventually be explained. You can ask my friend, Uke, who has read all the rough drafts for all my stories, and was the one who suggested I put them on this site. She knows everything gets explained, and has complained if it hasn't. So everything gets explained. Well, I know I'm stalling, but you just don't get enough suspense if you shoot through the chapters before you know what's going on. *sighs* I guess I have to let you read now. And I'm not getting feedback! I need feedback on how you people like the way the story's going. So please review me! 

Thank you so much, those of you who are keeping up with it. I really appreciate the loyalty. 

~Tennyo 

~~~ Chapter 2 ~~~ 

Outside, in the old god tree, Inu Yasha sat in the high reaches, hidden from sight below. He was thinking of his vivid nightmare and trying to find out why he had had it. But the truth was, the only things that connected to it were things that happened long ago. 

When Naraku was still pursuing them. 

When the sacred Shikon no Tama was still in shards. 

When Kagome was still full human. 

His thoughts traveled from dream to reality as he remembered that day. The day Naraku had finally been defeated, when the Shikon Jewel had been resurrected and pacified by the last strength of Kikyo, and when Kagome had stopped him from using the jewel to become full demon, only to use it to become half-demon. _At least her appearance hadn't changed, rather than the claws and fangs she has now.... I suppose they make her more attractive...._

He shook his head vigorously, shaking the branch underneath him. He almost fell off, but he caught himself in time. He was getting off track. He needed to concentrate on his nightmare. But the more he tried to think of it, the harder it was to remember. All he could remember now was the fear. It was an unknown fear and made him nauseous. He promptly tried to forget it. A familiar sound came drifting to him to help. 

"Inu Yasha! Inu Yasha, where are you?" 

"Kagome," he whispered. He picked up the desperate tone in her voice and knew he couldn't hide from her any longer. He didn't want to make her worry about him. So he jumped down and began to walk towards her voice as she charged around the corner to look for him. When she saw him, she ran to him, relief making her eyes glint in the sunlight. 

"Inu Yasha! Was this where you were while I was looking for you? Why didn't you tell me where you were going?" Her panicked tone lowered a bit as she stared up at him. "I was worried about you." He met her gaze and could see tears brimming in her bright, brown eyes. _I didn't think she would worry quite so much... _he thought to himself. He closed the distance between them quickly, and wrapped one arm under her shoulder, resting the other softly on her head. 

"I didn't mean to make you worry, Kagome. I just needed a bit of time to myself," he explained. Kagome's tenseness evaporated immediately, and she relaxed in his arms. 

"Never mind, its fine," she replied. _I should have given him his peace_, she reasoned with herself._ He's just had a nightmare; naturally, he'd want to try to make sense of it._ "I'm sorry," she apologized suddenly. He looked down at her, and she met his gaze. He smiled and shook his head, tightening his hold on her. 

"Don't apologize for it," he said softly. "I don't blame you for worrying. I should have told you where I was going." She returned the grin and stood on her toes to reach up and plant a soft kiss on his cheek. 

Just then, Kagome's family came back from their early morning errand. 

"All right, Kagome!" Sota's voice rang clearly through the quiet shrine grounds. She whipped around to see them coming up the steep steps that made up the entrance. She blushed slightly as her mother grinned happily, her grandfather shook his head with a smile on his face, and Sota whooped and jumped up and down. Turning back to her love, she smiled again, as if asking permission. He slowly unlocked his arms from around her and allowed her to move away, but trailed not too far away behind her. She chatted in low tones with her mother and Sota, and he let them be while they talked. But soon enough, Kagome and her little brother sauntered back to him. 

"Inu Yasha," she said, catching his attention. "Sota and I were wondering if you'd like to go around town with us, pick up a few things that they didn't get a chance to get while they were out, and maybe go to a movie..." He grinned broadly at the offer. 

"I've never been to a 'movie' before!" he said excitedly. "Yeah, I'll go!" Sota and his sister beamed. 

"You'll need to hide your ears, though," Kagome said, turning away to head back to the house. Inu Yasha snorted. 

"So I need that 'baseball cap' again?" 

"Yeah, and this time, I'm going to ask that you don't lose it." 

"I-I didn't lose it!" the male hanyou stuttered defensively. "The wind blew it off!" 

"Right..." 

"Whew, what a day," Kagome sighed, flopping down onto her bed. "Well, you had fun, right Inu Yasha?" 

"Yeah, especially when that runaway cart almost ran me over," he replied sarcastically. 

"Well, I told you to wait until the traffic light turned red," she shot back. 

"It looked awful red to me!" he argued. 

"That's because you were looking at the wrong one," she said forcefully, ending the argument. "Anyway," she said with a considerably softer tone, "are you hungry? I could cook up some dinner for us." 

"Really? Could you? I'm starving," he replied enthusiastically. 

"Sure, I'll go start," she said, getting up to fix the food, leaving Inu Yasha in her room alone. He began reminiscing the afternoon he had just spent with her. They had taken Sota to get a new pair of pants for school, since he had torn and soiled his others. From there, they went to pick out a nice casual outfit for Kagome, and find a t-shirt or something comfortable for the dog-demon. Even after he had protested that he would never wear it, Kagome bought it, knowing that all she needed to do was coax him into it a bit. From the clothing stores, they went for some lunch at the Wacdonalds burger joint. After noon, Kagome led the small group to the movie theater. At first, Inu Yasha was overwhelmed by the sights and smells, especially from the arcade games that lined the entrance to the theater and the popcorn being freshly popped behind the cash registers. Buying a bag of popcorn and a cup of soda for her brother, Kagome beckoned everyone into a showroom and found seats for them. But about five minutes in, neither Inu Yasha or Kagome could handle the volume. They quickly exited and waited in front of the showroom for the movie to be over. Inu Yasha had clearly stated that he didn't like movies, and never wanted to go to one again. Kagome grumbled an agreement, massaging her temples. Finally, when the movie was over, Sota came out and boasted that it was the best film he'd ever seen. Kagome whacked him upside the head. On their way home, Inu Yasha started to cross a busy intersection, but didn't see the traffic light change, and refused to stop, no matter how much Kagome or Sota yelled at him. And the result was nearly an accident, but the driver swerved at the last moment, missing Inu Yasha and speeding down the road, a very dirty hand signal being waved out the car window. But since it was such a foolish act, Inu Yasha felt free to snigger a little as he replayed it through his head. That driver certainly had a surprised look on his face when Inu Yasha had hopped over the hood of the car. 

A familiar scent rose from the kitchen, snapping him out of his reverie and making him stiffen excitedly. 

"Inu Yasha," Kagome shouted from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!" 

"Ramen!" he exclaimed gleefully, running out of her room and jumping over the staircase banister to get to the dining room. 

After dinner, Kagome and Inu Yasha went back to Kagome's room to talk some more and perhaps go to sleep. Although he was thoroughly tired from the day's activities, Inu Yasha did not want to fall asleep, lest the nightmare come back to haunt him. 

_Why am I so scared of a stupid dream? Its not like I'm fighting or human or anything, so why should I fear it?_

"You know, I may have felt it coming," Kagome said thoughtfully. "The dream, I mean." 

_Sometimes,_ Inu Yasha thought to himself, _it seems like she can read minds._ But he said instead, "Well, do you feel anything now?" 

"No, not really," she answered. "But it was later that I felt it, remember? Anyway, I'll tell you as soon as I feel something, if I do." 

"But the real question is, what do we do about it even if you _do_ feel something?" he stated sourly. There was silence between the two. Kagome was as worried as he was. She didn't want him to suffer through any nightmare, and she most certainly didn't want him to spend his waking hours dwelling on what he dreamt of in his sleep. But in being half-demon.... would it affect him the same way it would a full human? The same way it affected her the first few nights she was half-demon? 

It hadn't been but a few days after Naraku had been defeated that Inu Yasha had attempted to use the jewel, and she had persuaded him not to. When she explained to him what her intentions were with the jewel, he had warned her that using it to become half-demon would have its dangers, but she brushed the warnings away. And the nightmares had started that night. 

One was extremely vivid, where she woke up, in the dream, only to find the corpses of her love and friends in front of her. Smelling their blood everywhere, she traced it downward, and found it coating her new claws, glistening in the red dusk. 

Another was of intense pain, every inch of her body, not allowing her to move. She could barely breathe, the pain was so bad. And standing in front of her, were all of the villagers that she had grown to know so well. Each had a sword, spear, or other type of weapon in their hands, and each tip was coated in her blood. 

The last and most lifelike and memorable of all of them, was her own love's rejection of her. It was simply him gazing down at her with hatred in his eyes, then walking away, not even flicking an ear in her direction when she cried out his name. 

"Hey," she said suddenly. "You never described your nightmare to me." He sighed softly. 

"Well, I don't really remember all of it in as much detail," he said, thinking hard. "But I can try to tell you what I can recall." She sat on her bed, patiently looking down on him sitting on the floor. "I was being chased, I know that much," he began, "and I know it was some kind of huge demon, like an ogre, but more than ten times its size. I remember being lifted from the ground, and it getting harder and harder to breathe.... And.... I was human. Powerless, weak...." He looked up at her on the bed. "It was.... terrifying.... The fear that I was going to die, and there wasn't anything I could do about it...." he looked down to the floor as he ended. Kagome nodded. 

"I've had vivid nightmares about being killed, too," she said understandingly. His head snapped up and he gaped at her. 

"Y-you have? And you never told me?!" 

"You never asked," she replied stoutly, not willing to tell him about the few that she had had while she was at home the few nights after she had turned hanyou. He didn't need to worry about something else at the moment. "And other people do, it's not just me." 

"Yeah, but I never have," he said quietly. "Until now." There was a few moments more of silence between them. 

"Well, perhaps we should just go to sleep and deal with it in the morning," she said. Inu Yasha glared at her. "And if you have another nightmare, we'll deal with it then." He allowed his glare to drop into an _almost _frightened expression. 

"I can try to," he said a weakly and began to bed down beside her bed. 

_He's still scared. I can hear it in his voice,_ she thought to herself as she watched him. _I wish there were something more I could do for him._ She crawled off her bed and kneeled next to him. She waited until he knew she was there before reaching up and encircling his shoulders with her arms. At first he was slightly shocked, but he slowly and lightly leaned into her gentle embrace. "Try not to worry about it, Inu Yasha," she whispered. "You'll only drive yourself crazy like that." He sighed and nodded. Smiling, Kagome kissed him lightly on the cheek and moved back up to her bed. Not too long after she was under her bedsheets, she was fast asleep. Inu Yasha soon followed, hoping beyond hope that no nighttime torture would come to him that night. Meanwhile, the shadow was back outside the bedroom window.... 

_There was a scream. He recognized it. It was Kagome! He rushed to help her, but something grabbed him and bound him to a huge stone pillar. Kagome's panicked voice came nearer and nearer, until she emerged at the far end of the area he was being held. He screamed out her name, and could barely make out her words. But they made no sense. It was as though she were speaking a different language. A large creature that resembled a reptile of some sort pushed her towards him. Then it knelt and busied itself with something. He struggled against his bindings. Kagome was calling his name, begging for his help, but he couldn't understand a word she said. He shouted her name again, desperation making itself apparent in his voice. A roar suddenly sounded from above. He realized that this must be an arena of some sort, as the beast that roared pounced from it's resting place... straight for Kagome! Why didn't she move? Did she not see the danger coming from the sky? Then it all made sense. The reptile creature bound her so she couldn't run. The beast planned to kill her. He could understand her pleas now. She was going to die if he didn't do something! He struggled against his bindings once more, crying out her name over and over. But they wouldn't give. The beast was coming closer to the ground every second. A breeze blew from behind him. He caught sight of his hair. It was as black as Kagome's. The beast landed on the ground and swiped her across the front. He watched, tears blurring his vision as she fell with a dead thud. He felt the anger welling up inside him, the pain, the loss, the emptiness. _

KAGOME_!_

"KAGOME," Inu Yasha screamed in his sleep. Kagome was trying her hardest to wake the panicked half-demon up, but couldn't. Her mother and little brother came rushing in, having heard his cry from downstairs. 

"Kagome, what's wrong?" her mother asked. Then she saw Inu Yasha, lying stiffly on the floor, his head rolling from one side to the other. "Sota, run and get some water, quickly!" She stepped closer, but Kagome stopped her. 

"If he wakes up now, he could go out of control," she said, quickly remembering the day before when his eyes had been red as he awoke. "Since he knows my scent, he'll be calm when he sees me." Her mother nodded and backed away obediently. Sota came running in with the water just then. "Give it to me, Sota," Kagome ordered, getting up to meet him halfway. He stepped forward a bit to hand the glass to his sister, then ran back to hide behind his mother's legs to watch. Kagome strode swiftly to where Inu Yasha lay on the floor, lying quietly now, but still asleep. Setting the glass on the bedside table behind her, she dismissed her family members from the room, and sat next to him. 

"Inu Yasha, please wake up," she pleaded softly. His eyelids tightened, and he turned his head away from her slightly. "Please, Inu Yasha...." A low moan passed through his throat. 

"K-Kago...... N-no.... not..... K-Kago.... me...." She immediately knew that he had drempt about something happening to her. He continued moaning in his sleep, until something between a gasp and a sob broke the muffled speech, and he fell silent. 

"Inu Yasha, wake up," she commanded him sternly. He flinched away from her voice again. 

"Kagosss..... Kagomssss dead...." This time, his voice was filled with sorrow and loss. Even in his sleep, in his dream, he felt such a strong emotion as loss. It frightened Kagome to hear such sadness in his voice, and she knew she had to wake him up somehow, because he wasn't going to be able to regain consciousness by himself. Looking around for something she could use, her eyes fell on the water glass. Staring at it for a moment, she reached out for it and dipped her hand in, wetting her fingertips. Softly, she sprinkled it over his face. 

Again, when his eyes snapped open, they were blood-red. But after a few moments they glazed over white again. Then he closed them and began panting for breath. She sighed in relief. Now that he was awake, she was almost sure that nothing else could happen to him. But he still looked horrible in her eyes, very much like he did when he had been seriously wounded or poisoned. Gasping for air, sweat rolling down his face, his eyes moving constantly behind the lids that kept his vision dark. She had long ago thought that he would never have this happen to him again. She had thought that she would be able to protect him from that. 

This was running through Kagome's head as she laid her hand on his forehead, sending gentle, healing waves of comfort from her palm, trying to reassure the panic-stricken hanyou. It was just a small trick she had learned while helping Kaede care for injured or sickly villagers. For what seemed like forever, she sat on the floor of her bedroom, mumbling calming words and stroking his silver hair away from his face. Once or twice, his eyes flew open again, as if just to make sure she was still there. But he would just close them again and take a deep, shaking breath. For a few minutes, his breathing turned irregular, and she despairingly thought that he was having another nightmare. But finally, he calmed his breaths, and opened his eyes slowly. 

"You... you died, K-Kagome.... I saw you... Heit killed you...." Then his voice gave out and his eyes closed again. 

She leaned down to his ear and whispered, "But I'm right here, Inu Yasha. I'll always will be right here." He opened his eyes again and just stared at her, relief mixing with doubt in his eyes. 

_She's alive.... She really is alive... That bastard... no, she isn't dead. That's all I should worry about. She's not dead, she's not dead.... _ For a long while, he ran those words through his head, and finally convinced himself that she was alive. Letting out a long sigh, he slowly rolled to one side and attempted to sit up. With some help from Kagome, he propped himself up beside her bed and began to drink the water she was offering him. He didn't attempt to speak again, only because he knew his voice was lost. Shivers convulsed throughout his body, shaking him mercilessly. 

_We've got to find out why this is happening to him,_ she thought as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and rested her head on one._ I don't know how he'll react if he has another one. _He shook again, closing his eyes and moaning softly. She tightened her hold around his shoulders._ These are ruining him so much. I hate to feel him tremble like this. He'll be too tired to move if it continues any further. Maybe I should send him back, but if he's tortured further... He'll need me...._

Unable to find enough strength to move any further, Inu Yasha sat with his love, slowly being healed by her touch, as he had been the morning before. 

_It was all just another nightmare, more vivid and consuming than the last,_ he thought to himself as a shiver rippled through him.. _What's causing this? I know it's not just me now._

It had been another long while when Inu Yasha felt that he had enough energy to attempt to stand. But, as before, Kagome stopped him. 

"Inu Yasha, don't push yourself. You're still tired, and you need to recover." He didn't make eye contact with her. "Tell me about what happened," she suggested calmly. He turned slowly to gaze at her. She returned his gaze with love and worry, but he didn't register it. He just stared at her. _He looks so confused,_ she thought. _Its almost as if.... he's still in the dream._

"N-not.... y-yet..." he told her unsteadily. She lowered her shoulders, a bit deflated. 

"Do you want me to leave you alone, then?" she asked, remembering how he had run to find a few moments' peace the day before. But he shook his head, turning to look down at the ground once more. "Are you sure? Because I could go and make some breakfast or something...." She drifted off when he shook his head again, then lifted his gaze just slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye. She was surprised at how tired he looked when he did that. 

"K-Kagome.... I-I just saw y-you killed.... Th-this is like.... Its like you've been br-brought back to life...." He sighed shakily, and she tightened her hold on him. "Th-the last thing I want," he continued in a whisper, "is to be away from you." She smiled softly and shifted her position so that she was in front of him, her arms curling up his back and over his shoulders. Slowly, she watched as he brought his hand up to rest on her back. She was so worried about him. If he had experienced such strong emotions in his nightmare, then was it possible that he could drive himself crazy with grief, pain, or anger if he had another? Looking up at the clock on her wall, she realized that it was close to midday, and that her family would be worried about the morning's happenings. 

"Inu Yasha," she said softly. "I'm going downstairs for just a few minutes, to see Mom and Sota and tell them you're all right. I'm sure that they're worried about you. I'll be back up as soon as I possibly can, though." 

"K-Kag-gome...." he moaned pitifully. She flinched and pulled away from him. His hand slipped off her back and rested on the crook of her arm, since he hadn't bothered to move it. "N-no, K-Kagome... D-don't leave me...." She smiled softly and raised her hand to stroke his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the gentle gesture. "Kag-gome...." Leaning forward, she lightly kissed his forehead and began to get up. But his weak grip on her arm pulled her back, not because of the strength of it, but for the surprise of how feeble it was. 

"I'll be right back, Inu Yasha," she said comfortingly. He moaned softly again and released his hold on her. She stood and held his gaze for a few moments before smiling and stepping out the door. 

For a while longer, he sat where she had left him, sometimes closing his eyes to regain lost energy, sometimes staring up at the ceiling. After a while, he shifted his gaze to the window because he had grown bored of the blank white above him, and suddenly stiffened. He saw a small shadow, bobbing up and down. Apparently, it was paying no attention to him, as it did not acknowledge that it was being watched. It looked like it was busy weaving something. Inu Yasha tried to stand, but the convulsions from earlier had tired his now aching muscles, and he found no energy in them. 

"Ka-Kagome," he whispered weakly. The shadow suddenly realized that it had been spotted. It zipped down below the window, and out of sight. _Damn it,_ he cursed himself. _Why can't I move?_ He decided he would try once more to get into a standing position, now that Kagome wasn't here to stop him. He had succeeded as far as hunched over, one hand supporting him on the bed, and was about to let go when Kagome came walking into her room. 

"Inu Yasha," she said rushing over to him. "You shouldn't try to stand yet!" He was breathing considerably harder than before and his legs were shaking visibly beneath the hakama that he wore. 

"Kagome," he managed to gasp. "There's something... something out," but before he could finish, he collapsed. She kneeled down to help him up. 

"There's something outside? OK, we'll go out as soon as you recover." He shook his head. 

"No.... We have to go now," he said, attempting to stand once more. She saw the determination in his eyes, the kind she used to see when he had gotten a lead on either Naraku or a Shikon Shard. She nodded. 

"All right. We'll go. But promise me this," she said seriously. "Don't try to push yourself too hard if we do find what you saw." Unable to find the words to say, he simply bowed his head in thanks. 

Sorry, but the chapter had to end somewhere! I hope you're enjoying it! REVIEW PLEASE!!! I'll try to update very soon, so that you're not held in such suspence. If you catch something that doesn't make sense, or any mistake, please tell me so I can correct it. Thanks again! 

~Tennyo 


	3. In which the culprit is discovered

Disclaimer: Okay, first off, you know this story wouldn't be on here if I owned Inu Yasha and everybody, right? Right, okay, as long as we have that clear. 

Well, here's chapter number 3. That would be tres, trois, san, three, and all that good shtuff. 

Uh, yeah. 

I'm excited now because I'm actually getting close to the end of all the stories that I'm currently redoing for the internet! YAY!! 'Cause that means you'll get part 2, 3, and 4 much faster than you're getting this one. So everyone say it with me.... YIPPIE!! 

Its been hard work though. Almost a half a year old, this series is. :nods: Very old. Not as old as Guardian Angel (Ama Koneko) or Turnabout is Fair Play (Ookami-chan) maybe, but 'tis old to me, since I put my very soul into this. 

~~~ Chapter 3 ~~~ 

"So you could see it through my window," Kagome questioned Inu Yasha once they were outside. He nodded. He found that he was concentrating so hard on his unsteady limbs that he couldn't even spare a word. 

And, boy, had the stairs had been fun. 

She was supporting him by the waist and helping him walk when he had trouble. When they arrived outside, their noses picked out a strange scent and followed it to a row of shrubbery lining the boundries of the shrine. Pinpointing where the scent was originating from, Kagome helped Inu Yasha sit down in a spot nearby. Then she walked back to investigate. Finding renewed strength every moment, he said as loudly as he could, 

"Be careful, Kagome!" She looked over her shoulder and nodded. As she crept closer to the bush, it began shaking violently. Then, all of a sudden, a small figure popped up and out of the bush. It resembled a small child, but had strange markings over its face and hands, looking like meaningless scribbles with a pen or marker. Its skin also glowed a pale yellowish color. After a few moments of staring at it, Inu Yasha realized what it was, remembering what old Myoga had told him once. 

"Kagome," he shouted to her. "It's a Yumekodomo. A dream child. That's what's been giving me the nightmares!" The ghoul glared over Kagome's shoulder at it's prey. 

"You were my food! Why do you still live in this conscious world?" it screamed at him in a high-pitched screech that didn't seem possible for such a small creature. 

"Did you actually think you could've killed me?" he shot back. "I'm half demon, you know!" 

"Yes, and all the better," the Yumekodomo hissed. "The longer you live, the more memories you have that I can terrorize you with. Remember that, half-breed..." And with a snap of it's ghastly fingers, it vanished. Kagome walked over to her love. She stared over her shoulder, at the spot she saw the Yumekodomo disappear. 

"It won't stop...." she muttered, then turned down to look at Inu Yasha. "I know it won't stop until it's killed you." He glanced up and met her gaze, almost quizzitively. Her gaze dropped to the ground and she slowly sat beside him. A soft sigh escaped him, followed by a huge yawn. She watched him tentatively. Noting her gaze, he turned to meet it again. 

"But you also know that I'm not easy to take down." She grinned weakly, though she was thoroughly worried on the inside. He was putting on that brave kind of 'I'm hanyou! I'm invincible!' act. But as she gazed at him, for the first time, she saw it fail, and as he turned his head away from her, she glimpsed fear filling his eyes again. 

"Inu Yasha...." she murmured. The golden gaze dimmed as another sigh left his lips, this time louder. "You don't know how scared I've been over the past couple of days," she said softly. His head snapped up. 

"Why?" A soft, sorrowful grin turned the corners of her lips. 

"You couldn't wake up on your own. I had to wake you up both yesterday and today, and it took you a really long time to come to." There was silence. "And your eyes were red, Inu Yasha...." She glanced up out of the corner of her eye to see that his had widened. 

"Wh-what?" he stuttered. 

"Your eyes were red. It was the most frightening thing, especially since your youkai blood only takes over when you're close to death. And it hasn't happened in such a long time..." 

She finally looked up to meet his gaze. "I'm afraid to think that the nightmares really are that serious, Inu Yasha, but you really looked horrible this morning. You were muttering in your sleep.... Things like, 'No, no, not Kagome...' and 'Kagome's dead'" He gasped, cutting her off, and went rigid. "What?" Kagome asked worriedly. "What's wrong?" He shook his head slowly, and reached his hands up behind his ears. "Inu Yasha! What's wrong?!" He was panting, and shaking all over again. "Inu!" 

"Stop!" he yelled suddenly, squeezing his eyes shut. She promptly closed her mouth, regarding him with worry and fear. "You were dead," he close to shouted. "You had _died,_ Kagome! He _killed _you! He tore you away from me....." 

"Naraku?" He shook his head. Now a bit of confusion mixed with her anxiety. "Who, then? Who is _he_?" Inu Yasha shuddered. 

"S-Sesshomaru..... My brother killed you....." Kagome remained silent, somewhat surprised that it hadn't been Naraku that he had seen kill her, and even more surprised that it was Sesshomaru. She was shaken from her thoughts, though, by his shaky voice breaking the silence. "H-he had you bound.... so you couldn't run.... And I was trapped.... I couldn't reach you..... couldn't save you.... He killed you right before my eyes, stained the ground before him with your blood...." 

"Inu Yasha...." the young female hanyou began, but couldn't find a way to finish. So she got up from beside him, making him look up to see where she was going to. But she merely kneeled in front of him, so that only his outstreached legs were in between them. The fierceness in her eyes sent a shiver down his back, and he lowered his hands from the back of his head. "Don't think about it, Inu Yasha. You'll only hurt yourself more if you do." 

"Kagome...." he near moaned. She hushed him by leaning forward and placing her fingers over his lips. 

"Be still, now, _koishii_," she said softly, the ferocity melting away to comforting relief. She trailed her hand down his cheek and cupped his chin up so he was looking her directly in the eye. But he sighed and closed his eyes and let his head drop. "Inu Yasha....." Kagome took a deep breath, not quite knowing his reaction to her next comment. "Love, you're acting as if Kikyo's still alive." 

He moaned, and she flinched. 

But she continued anyway. "You won't look me in the eye, and its as if you're afraid to meet my gaze." A quick upward glance was her only warning. With almost dizzying speedand unexpected strength, as just minutes ago he had barely been able to hold her downhe reached up over her back and pulled her down, so that her forehead rested in his chest. His grip was extremely tight, almost as if he was afraid to take his hands away. 

"Kagome.... Y-you have no idea.... the fear I held.... for you...." She suddenly felt extremely guilty, though she couldn't set a finger on exactly why. She pushed up a bit, asking for his grip to lighten. It took a minute, but eventually he let her up. Slowly readjusting herself, she moved so she was sitting beside him, and leaning forward onto his torso. Her pointed ear was pressed up against ribs, listening to his heartbeat as it quickened and slowed, then quickened again. His breathing followed suit, both from adreniline and fear of the memory taking firm hold in his mind. 

She could easily sense his discomfort, and it vexed her knowing that she could do nothing about it. Taking one hand from his chest where she had placed it, she looked up and stroked his cheek, as she had done earlier that morning. His eyes remained shut, and his breathing evened out. She frowned, noting the signs of sleep. Carefully, she pulled from his grip and sat up on the balls of her feet, hunched over in a squat. 

"Can't leave him here," she muttered, knowing her mother would have a heart attack if her daughter walked into the house carrying an unconscious _male_ hanyou. Glancing up in the general direction of her bedroom window, she got up and walked around the house and hopped up to slide the panel of her window back. Bounding back down, she effortlessly picked the male half-demon up in her arms. 

She knew it was somewhat of an awkward image, or at least in her mind. In her opinion, she and Inu Yasha should have switched places. 

But she pushed that aside as she jumped once again up to the second story, a bit slower and more deliberate with the extra weight she was carrying. She landed heavily on the floor of her room and laid him out on her bed. Leaning over him for a moment, she brushed her hand over his cheek and cleared the bangs from his eyes. Kissing his forehead lightly, she stood up again and began to head out of the room. But a low moan followed her and she quickly glanced back to see what was wrong. 

His brow was furrowed. That was the only thing she could find wrong. But she could sense the discomfort emmitting from him in waves. She glanced down at the door, torn between staying with her love and going down to her family. Slowly, she closed the door, latching it softly. He flinched at the sound. 

She frowned and approached the bed again. "Inu Yasha...." Another low moan met her ears, and his eyelids tightened. "Lovemy loveplease wake up..." 

"I'm awake," he murmured. 

She smiled. "The entire time?" 

A slight grin turned the corners of his mouth. "Yeah..." 

"Why am I not surprised?" The grin widened a bit and his eyes opened to slits. 

"Why should you be?" She shook her head and laid her hand on the side of his face, twisting the silver tendrils of his hair through her fingers. He sighed and closed his eyes again. "I'm dead tired, though." A frown furrowed Kagome's brow. 

"Maybe you should go back, then," she suggested softly. He snorted. "Its the only place the Yumekodomo hasn't effected you, right?" He opened his eyes once more to stare at her, but only for a moment before turning away. "Inu Yasha, I'm right, aren't I? Please tell me I'm right." 

"You're not," he said quietly, almost too quietly for her to hear. 

"How so? How am I not right? Tell me! What have you been keeping from me!" 

"Its nothing. Just memories...." 

"Like?" 

"Kagome...." 

"No, don't 'Kagome' me. I want to know!" He turned to look her in the eye. 

"You want to know that badly?" 

"Of course I do!" 

Sighing heavily, he slowly picked himself up off her bed, causing her to draw away. He stood hesitantly, trying to find his balence, then walked silently to the open window. "The night after the new moon this past month," he began reluctantly, "I dreampt of the fight the first time you met my brother, and how, even though we hadn't known each other that long, I still wouldn't have been able to bear losing you. I dreampt and remembered every detail of that fight." 

Kagome had gotten to her feet, and was about to say something when he continued. 

"The next night, it was the battle with Hiten and Manten, and the next our encounter with the Spider-heads." At that comment, he turned to face her, his face not revealing any of his feelings. He had put up his emotional block, but his voice was still filled with compassion and perhaps even a little bit of shame. "Each night following the night of the new moon, I've remembered something that I wish I could have done differently, that might have put you, or any of our friends, out of danger." 

"Inu Yasha," Kagome called softly, "you're only one person. One person can't do everything at once. Don't feel as if the past is something that you regret and look back upon with scorn and shame. Take the darkness away, and what you have left is light." 

"How am I supposed to do that?" he nearly yelled, his weariness mixing in with all the many other emotions he was feeling to create frustration, annoyance, and impatience. "What is good about the fact that if I had handled the situation differently, none of us would have come so close to death..." 

A loud smack seemed to ring through the room, and Inu Yasha's head jerked to the side, his eyes wide. Raising a hand to his cheek, he fingered the reddened skin tenderly. Then he turned back to Kagome. She was simply standing, her arms relaxed against her sides, her brown eyes staring up at him with slight agitation shining in them. 

"Am I dead?" she asked, her voice hard and sharp. 

"What?" he asked, quite taken aback by the suddenness of the question. 

"Am I dead?" she repeated. 

"..... No...." 

"Are Sango, Miroku, or Shippo dead?" 

"No..." 

"Then you did nothing wrong, love." Her voice softened with her last remark, and she stepped towards him. "If anything, you've gone through more pain than any one of us, because you were able to take more abuse than we ever were able to. You always risked your life in battle for everyone. So don't feel like that anymore, okay? Its not healthy." His head drooped somewhat, and he moved around her. 

"I'm going back. You're right. The Yumekodomo hasn't effected me as much in my time as it has in this one. I'll see you when you come back to me." 

"Inu Yasha, no. Wait! I didn't mean it like that..." But he was already out the door and heading towards the front entrance. "Inu Yasha....." 

~~~ ~~~ 

Kagome stood, head down, turned towards her bedroom door, wondering if she should stay or go after him. She sighed heavily. 

_He was really upset_, she thought. _Those dreams really upset him, and when he turned to me, I made him feel worse._ Her head dropped a bit more, until her chin was nearly touching her chest. "I'll wait," she said decidedly. "He may need a little time to think about it, and I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable." So she made her way downstairs to find her mother. 

"Oh, Kagome," Ms. Higurashi summoned her daughter to her. "I just saw Inu Yasha walk outside. Is he feeling better?" Kagome's mind suddenly kicked into gear, wavering between telling the truth and lying. 

"Yeah, he's feeling a bit better. He's gone back to his time, though. He told me he was more comfortable there than here." It was quite far from the real story, but it would buy her a little time to stay. 

Until she heard her mother's words. 

"But shouldn't you go back with him? I mean, you know, wouldn't he be more comfortable with you there?" Thinking quickly, she shrugged. 

"He just told me that he needed to go home, nothing else. And when I asked if I could stay, he just shrugged." Her mother nodded and moved to her daughter's side. Slipping her arm around Kagome's shoulders in a motherly fashon, she leaned down and whispered into Kagome's ear. 

"The dishes next to the sink need washing..." this statement was promptly interrupted by a groan, causing Ms. Higurashi to raise her voice slightly, "....and the clothes out on the clothesline can be folded and brought in, and the shrine steps need to be swept." 

"Mom! Do you know how much work I do in the past? I have to do that stuff every single day to be able to stay in the village as a half-demon!" Her mother stepped away and turned to face her. 

"Really? Then you wouldn't mind doing it for me?" 

Kagome's shoulders slumped with defeat. "Where's Sota?" she asked deflatedly. 

"Out at his friend's house. Or else I would tell him to help you. But as soon as he steps through the front door, he's going to be out there folding the clothes too." 

"Oh, good. I'll save that one for last," Kagome stated, walking to the entryway where she could pick up the broom. 

Outside, it was a cool daynot freezing cold, but just cool enough to enjoy the weather. Kagome took a nice deep breath, and was rewarded with smells of tar, carbon monoxide, and the stench of a mass of people. Coughing, she began sweeping the steps that led down to the street. 

~~~ ~~~ 

Three hours later, after every single chore had been completed and a shower taken, Kagome laid on her bed, facing the ceiling, deep in thought. 

_And to think that I came here for a bit of relaxation..._ she thought with a sigh, closing her eyes. Immediately, a picture of her love came up from the back of her mind, and she opened her eyes again. "Inu Yasha...." Then she frowned and sat up. "No, I can't worry about him right now. He's gone back to his home, to our home.... through the well..." A sudden tingle running down her back warned her of something close by, something that shouldn't be there. She stiffened and sniffed the air, looking around for the source. A sudden gust of wind blew the curtains in front of her window into the room, and her gaze shot to them. A small shadow, shaped like a young child, was drifting in midair behind them, and when they settled, Kagome could see the Yumekodomo levitating just outside her bedroom window. And it had a smirk on its face. 

"Thank you, dear hanyou," was all it said before it shot out of sight, headed straight for the well. 

"No! Come back here, devil!" Kagome shot out the window after it, but it had already reached the well house. She was just in time to see its ghastly figure disappear through the wood of the sliding doors. _No! Inu Yasha!_ In one desperate bound, she cleared the roof of her house and made straight for the small shrine that housed the well. Leaping into it, she jumped from the top step of the wooden stairs into the well, and through the time barrier that held her world from Inu Yasha's. 

~~~ ~~~ 

Inu Yasha had been reunited with his friends and was enjoying a nice dinner with them in Sango and Miroku's hut. They were merrily talking about the fond memories they had together, and even some funny or embarrassing ones about life working in the village. One such memory that Inu Yasha had shared took place just after Kagome had turned half-demon and was trying out jumping long distances when she fell into a lake and Inu Yasha had to go after her to fish her out. 

"Where _is _Kagome?" Shippo asked innocently, looking up at the hanyou expectantly. There was a loud _whack_, and the kitsune cried out, holding his head. "I just asked you a question, Inu Yasha!" he wailed. "You could have at least answered it!" 

"She'll be back later," Inu Yasha said with a grunt. 

"But really, Inu Yasha," Sango asked. "Where is she?" 

"Like I said, she didn't come with me," he said, shooting a glare in her direction. "She's still back in her world." 

"Why such the face?" Miroku prodded further. "Did you two get in a fight?" 

"Shut up, Miroku," Inu Yasha growled. 

"What are you hiding mutt-face?" Koga asked from the corner. Inu Yasha started, amazed that he hadn't sensed or smelled the wolf's presence until he had spoken. 

"What the hell are you doing here, runt?" he asked, his voice much sounding calmer than he felt. Then he realized that there was a bandage over Koga's nose. "Hey, you tried to follow me and Kagome, didn't you?" 

"Answer the question," Koga shot back, blushing a bit. A huge grin covered Inu Yasha's face. 

"It wouldn't let you through? Ha!" Laughter shook the half-demon's shoulders, and Koga's face contorted in anger. A strong aura filled the hut, emmiting from the wolf-demon in the corner. Miroku shuddered at the feeling, but that went unnoticed since Koga had gotten to his feet and was walking towards Inu Yasha. Grabbing the front of his kimono, Koga single handedly lifted the dog-demon off the ground and held him in front of him so their noses were nearly touching. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo just stared on in awe. 

"Where is Kagome?" Koga hissed, almost too quietly for Inu Yasha himself to hear. He grinned despite his position and threw the wolf-demon's hand away. 

"Why would you want to know?" he taunted. "Even if she were here, she'd pay you less attention than she does any other filthy demon. You know that." A growl boiled in Koga's throat. "But if you really want to know," Inu Yasha continued, shrugging casually and moving to sit down again, "she's back in her world resting. Since she works so hard here, she wanted some relaxation, so she went back." 

"Then why didn't you stay with her, mutt?" Inu Yasha's casual gaze sparked suddenly with an angry twinge. He turned slowly to the wolf and was about to say something when Miroku cut in. 

"We.... were wondering the same thing, Inu Yasha," he said hesitantly. There was surprise in Inu Yasha's gaze as he turned back to face the monk, then what seemed a bit like emotional pain. But he snorted to cover it up and looked away from everyone. 

"If Kagome wants to tell you, I'll let her. But I'm not saying anyth" He stopped in mid-sentence, his eyes wide and his body rigid. The entire hut stiffened and fell silent with the hanyou's action. 

"Wh-what's the matter, mutt?" Koga asked, reluctant to break the silence that had fallen. Then he saw the lightly glowing strands of the net stretched over Inu Yasha's head and shoulders. Slowly, the half-demon lifted his hands from in front of him, where they had been tucked inside the large sleeves of his haori, and moved them behind him as if to support him. They shook with exertion, and moved so sluggishly that it seemed that just to move them took great amout of strength and energy. That in itself was frightening, since he was so much stronger than he had been before Naraku had been defeated. Then he lifted his head to the ceiling, staring unblinkingly up at it. 

"Inu Yasha, what's wrong?" Shippo shouted at him. He turned his gaze down to the fox, and every person in the hut saw the fear in his eyes. A sound very much like a whimper came from his throat, before he slid his eyes shut and slumped to the floor. 

"Inu Yasha!" Miroku and Sango jumped to their feet, and Shippo leapt to the half-demon's side. Koga stared on in utter amazement as Shippo jumped back again. The Yumekodomo slowly appeared, hovering over the unconscious form on the floor, a grin on its face. 

"Keep away, or I'll kill 'im," it hissed, then disappeared. Immediately after, a cry of pain left Inu Yasha's throat, and a shudder shook him harshly. 

~~~ ~~~ 

"Its too fast," Kagome panted. "Its probably already made it to Inu Yasha..." She had just reached the edge of the forest and bounded down into the village. Dodging around villagers and huts, she made her way towards the hut she and Inu Yasha shared. Then something caught her nose, and she skidded to a halt. It was his scent. And coming from the opposite direction than she was headed. 

_He's at Sango's? Why is he there instead of at home? _ But she changed direction anyway, and sped through the deserted streets. But before she was even halfway there, a cry filled the night air. She gasped, her eyes wide with fear. _Inu Yasha,_ she thought despairingly. _No... Just hang in there a little longer...._ With agility only despair and fear could supply her with, she leapt over houses and huts until she reached her destination. 

~~~ ~~~ 

_There was nothing but darkness for a few moments after he opened his eyes, but his keen eyesight pierced through, making out a few dim shapes and figures. He stood from where he had been laying on the ground. Walking towards one of the dim objects, he noticed something directly in front of him, just before he hit it. Upon contact with his body, whatever it was shot fire through him, throwing him backwards into another row of bars. Realization hit him as he slumped to the floor. He had been caged. Slowly, he lifted his head and took a better look around. He approached the bars again and tried to break them, to get free. But he was thwarted by the fire that ran through his arms. He recognized this fire as electricity, but was it possible to conceal it in bars of metal? One of the dark figures moved slightly, and his eyes snapped to where it was and stayed there, trying to make out who it could be. It was still incredibly dark, so he could not make out who or what it was. He growled and tried to shout, but he had no voice. He heard a strange sound, much like the notching of an arrow to a bowstring. All of a sudden, a bright light seared toward him. A moment later, the arrow struck him and knocked him backwards, into the electric bars. It had lodged itself in the wall behind him, pinning him against the deadly metal. Through halfway closed eyes, he could see the form take more and more shape, until it was remarkably familiar.... _No...! Kagome?_ He tried once again to call out, but he couldn't speak. He couldn't even make any noise in his throat. To make matters worse, his energy was quickly depleting from being shocked. He slowly moved his hand towards the arrow that bound him to the cage, but when his hand came within a few inches it, the spell repelled him painfully. He couldn't move, couldn't shout, and could only stare as the figure that resembled Kagome grinned evilly, entertained by his agony...._

~~~ ~~~ 

"Inu Yasha," Kagome shouted as she rushed through the door of the hut. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were crowded together about two feet away from where he lay, Miroku trying as hard as he could to find out what was happening from that distance. Koga was seated off to the side somewhat, but his expression showed that he was just as worried about the situation as all the others. At Kagome's entrance, however, he jumped to his feet and watched her curiously, remembering Inu Yasha's words earlier. "Everyone, get away from him," she ordered. They obeyed as quickly as possible. She walked quickly over to him to comfort and try to silence his shouts. 

"Wait, Kagome," Shippo cried, stopping her about three feet from his side. "The ghost that took him told us that if we got too close, it'd kill him!" She shook her head. 

"It can't. It needs him to be alive for him to be any use to it." She didn't know how she knew that, but it was as if the information came to her mind itself. And she trusted it enough. "I need to be alone with him tonight. He and I have to get over this together." Sango stood up defiantly. 

"I'll stay with you as long as it takes Inu Yasha to come to reality again." 

"Sango, I beg you not to..." 

"Please, Kagome." The female hanyou bowed her head in defeat, and allowed her friend to stay. When she had accepted Sango's presence, Miroku, Shippo, and Koga all stood up as well. But Sango was the one to order them this time. "Out, all men out!" Miroku looked at his love a bit strangely, but said nothing as he walked out of his residence and towards the hut that he shared with Sango and Shippo. Koga looked at Inu Yasha sourly, unnerved by the accuracy of the half-demon's remark. But he too walked out of the hut to find a nice tree to sleep under. 

"But Sango," Shippo pleaded, grabbing the hem of her kimono. 

"No," she said sternly. So the kitsune turned to Kagome instead. 

"Kagome! Please let me stay!" But the hanyou shook her head slowly. 

"Sorry, Shippo. Sango and I have to be alone." Shippo's shoulders drooped and he nodded and turned to follow Miroku to where ever he was headed. Sango followed him out to see which directions everyone had gone. Miroku and Shippo headed up to the healers' hut, where Kaede and her student, Kayu, took to living. Koga was working his way towards the forest. 

A sound from inside the hut distracted Sango, and when she turned and reentered the hut, she saw Kagome busily trying to make a more comfortable place for Inu Yasha to lie. 

"Can you help, Sango?" she asked, picking up a folded blanket from the corner and shaking it open. The demon exterminator nodded silently and stepped back outside to get a load of hay from behind her hut. After she came back inside, she and Kagome worked for a few minutes, spreading the hay around on the wood evenly to make a comfortable bedding. Kagome then spread the blanket over the bed of hay and smoothed it. That done, the two friends half carried, half dragged the sleeping dog-demon onto the makeshift bed. 

Kagome sat beside him, supporting his head on her lap. Sango positioned herself a little further away from him, but not too far, in case she was needed for something. After a few minutes of silence, she heard quiet sobs coming from her friend's direction. Startled, she looked over at Kagome. The tears were leaking out of eyes faster than Sango had ever seen them. She moved closer to Kagome and put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. After the half-woman wouldn't make eye contact, she looked down at Inu Yasha. Sweat poured down his face as fast as Kagome's tears ran down hers. 

"It's all my fault," Kagome muttered. Sango looked at her in surprise. "I told him the Yumekodomo wouldn't follow him here...." 

"What's happening? Why...?" Kagome waved a hand to cut her friend off, then wiped her tears away. 

"I'm not exactly sure of the entire story myself, so bear with me.... But its a spirit called the Yumekodomo. I think it uses the nets it weaves to enter someone or something's mind, then terrorizes it until it loses the will to live. Then it feasts on what's left of them." She shut her eyes tightly, as to not see the shocked expression on Sango's face. Doing so, the tears she had tried to brush away fled down her cheeks once more. "That's why its my fault," she choked. "I told the Yumekodomo how to get here, and now he's been taken again...." Opening her eyes, she reached for his limp hand and brought it up to her chin. He let out a soft groan when a tear hit his hand, and his fingers flexed slightly. 

Then his eyes fluttered open. 

"Kagome," he murmured. She gasped. She had closed her eyes again while cradling his hand in hers, and didn't see his eyes open. 

"Inu Yasha," she whispered. "Y-you're alive!" 

"You think something like that could kill me," he said weakly, managing a smile. "I don't think so." She grinned back at him, a bit feebly since she had been crying before. 

"You're not as tired as you look, then." He shook his head slowly. "Well, can you sit up?" she asked him. He thought for a moment. 

"I can try..." He busied himself with trying to lift himself off the bed while Kagome went to get a bottle of water that she had given her friends to keep. Sango had taken to helping him up, and supporting him so that he didn't fall back down to the floor. Kagome turned back to them, a half-full water bottle in hand. Unscrewing the top, she held it to his lips and tilted it. He took to it as if he hadn't had fluid for weeks, and drained the entire bottle without stopping. Afterward, he laid down once more, panting slightly. He still shook every once in a while, and was still tired from both this attack and the one from the night before. "Kagome," he called to her quietly. She was by his side immediately. "How long has it been? How long 'til sunrise?" 

"I-I don't know," she replied, dropping her gaze. "It seems to have been a lot longer than it probably is in reality, but I really don't know." He nodded and looked around a bit, before his eyes fell on Sango. 

"Where's Miroku and everyone? Weren't they here for dinner?" Sango nodded. 

"They were, but we chased them out," she replied with a shrug. 

"Huh. You didn't have to do that..." He turned back to Kagome and reached out for her. She met him halfway and caught his fingers between hers, intertwining them. He smiled, his eyes gleaming happily for a moment before they closed and his hand went limp once more. 

Looking up above his head, Kagome caught a glimpse of the Yumekodomo, a malevolent grin on its child-like face. 

~~~ ~~~ 

Well, how was that for a chapter? Didja like it? I hope the changes I made make the story fit together better.... Just wait for the next one.... ^-^ 

Please review! If you review more, I'll post faster, I promise! Let me know how many people are reading it, so I know how popular it is. In the depressed state I'm in right now, I need as much praise as I can get. 

Okay, well thanks for sticking with me so far. Hopefully I'll get Chapter 4 up before spring break. Until then, ja ne! 

~Tennyo 


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